Tsu Ch'ung-chih (Zu Chongzhi)

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Tsu Ch'ung-chih (Zu Chongzhi)

429-500

Chinese mathematician and astronomer who developed a remarkably accurate calculation of π. Tsu's figure of 355/113 or 3.1415926 is correct to six decimal places, and remained the most reliable approximation for many centuries. He wrote a mathematical text, now lost, with his son, and in 463 created a calendar that was never used.

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